Economic stability key to demand, says Buckles May 25, 2011 AS CHIEF executive of G4S since 2005, Nick Buckles has weathered the financial crisis and is now focused on returning the company to its former high growth. While G4S, as a security firm, is associated with flak jackets and war zones, Buckles says it is global industry, not instability, that will help it regain pre-crisis [...]
Adviser hire sparks sales talk for Martha Stewart May 25, 2011 MARTHA Stewart Living Omnimedia has hired an investment bank to advise it on its options, a signal that the company founded by the cooking star may seek a partnership or a sale. The move to hire the Blackstone Group, which sent shares of the company up more than 20 per cent yesterday, comes after several [...]
Aveva demand boosts profit May 25, 2011 Software firm Aveva yesterday posted an eight per cent rise in full-year profit after strong demand from customers in the oil, gas and power sectors. Aveva, which makes software used to design nuclear power stations, ships and oil facilities, said adjusted pre-tax profit for the year was £54.7m compared with £50.7m for 2010. The company [...]
Telecom Plus sees profits surge May 25, 2011 Utility services group Telecom Plus said yesterday its full-year profit rose 51 per cent on higher demand for gas during the winter and an increase in energy prices. The company, which supplies gas, electricity, telephony and broadband under the Utility Warehouse name, forecast higher financial results for the current year, in line with market expectations. [...]
Twitter to warn privacy users May 25, 2011 Twitter will seek to notify its users so they can defend themselves before it hands over user information to the authorities, a senior manager said yesterday when asked about the ongoing privacy dispute. Lawyers for Ryan Giggs, have asked Twitter for details of the users who published his name in tweets despite an injunction being [...]
ONS confirms 0.5pc growth May 25, 2011 THE UK economy grew by half a per cent in the first quarter of the year, according to official data released yesterday. The second estimate of 2011’s GDP growth matched the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) preliminary calculations, yet a prominent group of economists continue to cast doubt on the figures. “We still think that [...]
Banks’ mortgage lending falls May 25, 2011 MORTGAGE approvals dropped by six per cent in April, according to figures from Britain’s leading high street banks. Approvals fell to 29,355, down from 31,205 in March, while gross mortgage lending was five per cent lower than the same time last year, the British Banking Association (BBA) said. The average price of houses purchased with [...]
Japan’s exports plummet after its natural disasters May 25, 2011 JAPAN’S exports fell 12.5 per cent in April from a year earlier, pushing the country into its first trade deficit in three months, after the earthquake in March disrupted supply chains and hurt output. The country’s trade balance fell into a deficit of 463.7bn yen (£3.5bn). Imports rose 8.9 per cent in the year to [...]
Business sector remains on track yet consumer services face tight squeeze May 25, 2011 THE UK service sector is set for a two-speed recovery, with business services bouncing back but customer services still being squeezed. Business and professional services have reported rising activity for the last six months, according to a Confederation of British Industry (CBI) survey released today. Customer services, however, have been hit by five consecutive quarters [...]
German morale slides as sovereign debt fears weigh May 25, 2011 GERMAN consumer confidence slipped for the third consecutive month in May, it emerged yesterday. The highly-regarded GfK indicator fell to 5.5 from 5.7 in April. Sentiment has been hit by the ongoing sovereign debt crisis in Greece, as well as high energy prices. “This shows that commodity-driven inflation is probably the main threat for the [...]